Passive adaptive façades: examples from COST TU1403 Working Group 1

Mazzucchelli, Enrico Sergio; Romano, Rosa; Aelenei, Laura; Da, Maria; Gomes, Gloria; Karlessi, Theoni; Alston, Mark; Aelenei, Daniel

Abstract

Buildings often adopt strategies based on the integration of solutions and technologies in façades capable of changing their behaviour in time to improve energy efficiency and comfort. Considering that the envelope is the main parameter that influences the energy performance of buildings, façade elements with adaptive features can provide the buildings the necessary flexibility needed in terms of energy flow and thermal comfort in the context of nZEB, where the buildings must be interactive in the zero energy and smart city context. Several different types of adaptive façade concepts have already been developed, and an increase in emerging, innovative solutions is expected in the near future. However, when referring to adaptive technologies, two main categories can be distinguished. Adaptive technologies, which rely on passive design to improve building energy efficiency and comfort, and active technologies which include renewable harvesting. The aim of this paper is to provide several examples of passive adaptive technologies and their performance features from COST TU1403 Working Group 1 database. 1. Introduction The buildings energy demand as well as its environmental impact can be reduced and modified by employing passive and active measures. In this context energy-efficient adaptive façades emerge which are designed to adequately react to daily and seasonal changing external conditions. Moreover, depending on the climate where the building is located, the requirements on the façade can be completely opposite during summer and winter, as well as during night and day. For example, in winter solar energy gain may be allowed into the building during the day while together with a high level of thermal insulation in order to allow the energy to be stored. During summer, however, excessive solar gain should be avoided to prevent overheating in most cases. According to literature, adaptive façades consist of multifunctional highly adaptive systems, where the building envelope is able to change its functions, features or behaviour over time in response to transient performance requirements and boundary conditions, with the aim of improving the overall building performance (Loonen et al. 2015). Façade elements with adaptive features can provide the buildings the necessary flexibility needed in terms of energy flow and thermal comfort in the context of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) (Garde et al., 2017) or energy-efficient interactive buildings, both of which are essential parts of any smart city initiative. Several different types of adaptive façade concepts have already been developed, and an increase in emerging, innovative solutions is expected in the near future. However, when referring to adaptive technologies, two main categories can be distinguished. Adaptive technologies, which rely on passive design to improve building energy efficiency and comfort, and active technologies which include renewable harvesting. The aim of this paper is to provide several examples of passive adaptive technologies and their performance features from COST TU1403 Working Group 1 database.

Citation

Mazzucchelli, E. S., Romano, R., Aelenei, L., Da, M., Gomes, G., Karlessi, T., Alston, M., & Aelenei, D. (2018, November). Passive adaptive façades: examples from COST TU1403 Working Group 1. Presented at FAÇADE 2018 Final conference of COST TU1403 “Adaptive Facades Network”

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: FAÇADE 2018 Final conference of COST TU1403 “Adaptive Facades Network”
• Start Date: Nov 26, 2018
• End Date: Nov 27, 2018
• Acceptance Date: Sep 13, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Nov 26, 2018
• Publication Date: Nov 26, 2018
• Deposit Date: Oct 31, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 31, 2018
• Journal: FAÇADE 2018 Final conference of COST TU1403
• Book Title: N/a
• Chapter Number: N/a
• ISBN: N/a
• Keywords: adaptive façades technologies; energy efficient design concepts; examples
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1212859
• Contract Date: Oct 31, 2018